Soccer Executive Resigns Amid Racist, Sexist Text Reports

Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Premier League team Crystal Palace
said sporting director Iain Moody resigned as England’s national
soccer federation investigates misconduct at his former club.

Palace recruited the official after he was fired by Cardiff
City last season, with the Welsh team’s owner Vincent Tan saying
Moody, a former journalist and press officer, overpaid for
several players. The Welsh team submitted a dossier to the
Football Association last week with details of alleged racist,
homophobic and sexist messages exchanged between Moody and
former Cardiff manager Malky Mackay.

Mackay had been in talks about the vacant coach’s position
at Palace after Tony Pulis quit before the first game, according
to the Daily Mail, which reported extracts of the alleged
messages.

“In light of the events of yesterday, Sporting Director
Iain Moody has tendered his resignation and it has been accepted
with immediate effect,” Palace said in a statement on its
website. The team was fined 25,000 pounds ($41,500) earlier this
week by the Premier League following a complaint from Cardiff
that Moody used his connections to get information about team
selection before a match between the two clubs.

Cardiff obtained the alleged messages sent between Moody
and Mackay after getting a court order to raid their homes
earlier this year, the Daily Mail reported.

Cardiff Promotion

Under Mackay, Cardiff was promoted to the Premier League
for the first time since the competition started in 1992. Mackay
was fired by the Bluebirds in December before the team was
relegated to the second-tier Championship.

Moody and Mackay tried to claim damages for their
dismissals before dropping the action late last year and
apologizing to the club and Tan personally.